


Red ≠ Blood

by Blukins



Series: BTS Tokyo Ghoul AU [1]
Category: Tokyo Ghoul, 방탄소년단 | Bangtan Boys | BTS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Tokyo Ghoul, Ambiguous Relationships, Angst, BTS x Tokyo Ghoul, Blood and Gore, Family Feels, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff fluff and more fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Multi, Mutual Pining, Slice of Life, Sope - freeform, Tokyo Ghoul crossover, Violence, Yoongi Swears a Lot, but not for very long, i'll roll with how the story goes, namjin - Freeform, smut MAYBE, u know i had to do it to ya
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-22
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-09-25 01:03:03
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17111510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blukins/pseuds/Blukins
Summary: A ghoul's life isn't that hard. There are troubles here and there about where to eat or how to get by Ghoul Investigators, but on the surface, they're just regular people. They have to go to school, pay for rent, and get a paycheck to survive.This is a simple story about seven ghouls simply going through life, one coffee and body at a time.OrTwo ghoul boyfriends open a cafe only for it to become a hotspot for the ghoul community.





	1. Kind of Starstruck

_~6 years ago~_

_“This is the house, right?” A tall, looming man observes a quiet home from the corner of the neighborhood’s street._

 

_“Yes. Several of our sources have proven the family are all ghouls.” His associate confirms absently from beside him, scrolling through his work tablet._

 

_The man nods, taking one last glance at the unsuspecting home before giving the signal for the Bureau SWAT team to storm the place, “Let’s get this over with then.”_

↢:{-❂-}:↣

It was just another day of work. Customers seeping into the shop little by little, all getting drunk for all the wrong reasons.

 

Seokjin sighs when a group of intoxicated, obnoxious men shout for him to make them another drink. They whoop and slam the counter like children and he honestly feels like eating them to put them out of their misery.

 

The bartender laughs to himself as he begrudgingly pours cheap alcohol into a couple more shot glasses.

 

Seokjin already had to deal with so many different types of drunk bastards all in the same night. Earlier in his shift, his manager assigned him to wait tables, but after two barfers and five-too-many gropers, he immediately opted for barkeeper once the next shift employee checked in. And although he’s safely behind the bar now, he still has to deal with the alcoholics. The poor server just wanted to cry at this point.

 

While he’s reaching for a new bottle of whiskey, Seokjin hears someone sit behind him and he couldn’t help but inwardly groan.

 

“Can I help you?” The bartender asks dryly, finally getting that stupid bottle from the top shelf. Even with the small ladder and his height, the damn thing was still too high!

 

The guy behind him makes a humming noise like he didn’t hear what Seokjin said, which only pisses the exasperated man off more. Seokjin immediately turns right around to not-so-subtly give the deaf idiot a piece of his mind.

 

...That was until he took a good look at the man’s sharp, handsome features.

 

Seokjin, in short, melts on the spot.

 

The man looks up at him bewildered and smiles awkwardly, the sweetest dimples betraying his almost too sexy appearance. The server just wants to climb over the bar and make out with him at this point.

 

“I-I said, ‘Can I ha-help you?’” Seokjin’s soul dies.

 

“Oh, can I have a coffee then, please?” The man’s voice is low and just as much of a turn on as his face was. The poor bartender prays the growing blush on his cheeks dies and burns in hell.

 

“You came a long way for just coffee, why not go to a late night cafe or even a Starbucks?” Though he says this, Seokjin is already on his way to pour coffee into a large mug. He almost wants to laugh at himself when he’s gathering the sugar packets and creamers more enthusiastically than any order in his lifetime.

 

However, when the server leans in to put the coffee mug down, he catches a whiff of the man’s scent and flinches the tiniest bit in surprise.

 

 _Ah…I see. He’s a ghoul._ Seokjin realizes calmly.

 

The man also seems to notice Seokjin’s own scent as there was a slight glint in his eyes. “I’m just here for a little late night snack,” he replies in amusement, “my favorite restaurant is occupied at the moment.”

 

“Ah, well you’re in bad luck. The food here tastes like they’ve drowned it in alcohol. No surprise.” The man snorts into his drink, almost choking on it in the process. Seokjin laughs with him and gives him a few napkins to help him recover.

 

“The name’s Namjoon, Kim Namjoon.” Namjoon sticks his hand out and Seokjin gracefully shakes it. Seokjin thinks his name is cute just like him.

 

“Yours is Kim...Seokjin?”

 

The bartender is taken aback for a hot minute before quickly realizing he has a nametag on. “I thought you were a stalker for a second, goodness.” Seokjin places his hand on his heart in joking relief.

 

“No, no! Don’t worry,” Namjoon laughs, “though I wouldn’t be surprised if someone as beautiful as you had a couple already.” Seokjin blushes profusely, but he ultimately plays it off by comically fanning himself.

 

“Well aren’t you the charmer! Who would’ve thought a man in this rundown bar could actually be cute _and_ reasonably flirty.” Now it was Namjoon’s turn to be flustered.

 

“Seokjin, did you say what I think you said?!” Seokjin jumps harshly, his manager’s voice echoing from across the room where he was messing around with his favorite female playthings.

 

“No sir!” The bartender quickly pretends he was working the entire time, aimlessly wiping the counter surface and mixing random drinks. All the while, Namjoon quietly snickers into his hand beside him.

 

When his manager finally turns his attention away from him, Seokjin whirls straight back to his troublemaker of a customer. “YaH! You’re dumb handsome face almost got me fired!” Namjoon effectively dies.

 

The two talked and flirted nonstop as the night rolled on, both enjoying each other’s unexpected company. Seokjin learned Namjoon was a composer and producer in a small company and he lived alone with his dog Monie. Namjoon also didn’t fail to mention he was fluent in both Japanese and English, which Seokjin knew was only an attempt to impress him. It was stupid- it worked 100%, but it was still stupid. Because, while Seokjin admired his intelligence, he also really liked just how genuine Namjoon was. He was awkward and funny, and although he’s a drop-dead flirt, underneath he’s just really flustered which Seokjin finds completely adorable.

 

Suddenly a loud bang interrupts their engrossing conversation about the best coffee brands, the two rapidly turn to see two intoxicated men pulling at each other’s collars and on the verge of creating an all-out bar fight. Seokjin immediately gets up to put a halt to the commotion or at least kick them the hell out before they destroy anything.

 

“HEY!” The bartender is already agitated enough that these idiots interrupted his nice conversation with his handsome customer, “You two either settle down or I will call the police- actually, I already have them on speed dial. Get out now before you land yourselves in jail.” The bartender shows them the screen on his phone and points a direct line to the door with his other hand. The two men intimidatingly turn their attention to him, but he just presses the call button and stares right back at them challengingly.

 

They both give up and leave, but not before one of them spits at Seokjin’s shoe. Seokjin presses his lips into a thin line- almost as thin as his patience.

 

Thanks to him though, the atmosphere of the bar instantly mellows out to its normal nightly nonsense. “I don’t know why I put myself through these situations, my boss won’t ever give me a raise,” he mumbles to himself, walking behind the bar again. “However, what I do know is that your meal is going out the door.”

 

“Ah, you’re probably right.” Namjoon comments absently, gathering his things and putting down much more money than a coffee from a bar could possibly be.

 

“I guess I’ll catch you later,” he winks, “and keep the change, you deserve it.” The man turns and walks out the door, leaving poor Seokjin starstruck.

↢:{-❂-}:↣

When Seokjin gets home that night, he was more than content for the first time in a long time when coming back from work. However, as he thought about that handsome man and his cute dimples, realization hits him in the face like a brick.

 

He forgot to ask Namjoon for his number!

 

 

In the distance, an ominous howling assaulted the air. People of all different ages and sizes stirred, babies cried and pets were frightened. Parents, though worried, told their children it was just the wind...little did they know it was Kim Seokjin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! While this is not my first fanfic, it is however my first one in a very long time. I have been hit with the uncontrollable need to write a BTS x Tokyo Ghoul fic as there aren't many out there! Fanfic writers where you at?!  
> Postings might be irregular, but I'm sure you all won't mind.
> 
> I'm going to warn you now, the boys will trickle in as time goes. Think of this kind of like collecting Pokemon lol.
> 
> Please enjoy~


	2. Color Me In Love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those coming back, thank you!  
> Also, I added some extra detail in the last chapter and you guys should really go back at read it. This book is a work in progress and so is my life lmao
> 
> Enjoy~

_Gunshots and screams are heard from inside the house, tormenting the once peaceful neighborhood. The two ghoul investigators walk in, their silver suitcases glinting sinisterly in the moonlight as they step past broken furniture and shattered picture frames. Bullet holes and large inhuman marks scar the walls, bodies flung in odd places left and right, the smell of ghoul lining the floorboards. What was once a family home, was now a war zone._

 

 _One of the investigators stops to look at a height chart carved into one of the entrance ways, the colorful writing catching his eye. Two sets of irregularly spaced lines followed by annual dates ran up the wall labeled under “_ 정 _” and “_ 진 _”._

 

_Suddenly, a burst of blinding light sears from the adjacent room and two more of his men are thrown out, impaled by crystalized RC shards._

 

_It was them. It was the ghouls._

↢:{-❂-}:↣

Seokjin is strung up to say the least. He hasn’t seen Namjoon in a few days and while he isn’t anywhere close to _owning_ him, those sharp eyes and cute laughs have Seokjin’s heart wrapped around his fingers. Yes, he’s developed an undeniable crush on a man he’s only met once. And yes, he’s worried about never seeing him again like some lovestruck fool- which he knows he is.

 

At the moment, however, the poor server is being stretched thin between cleaning tables, mixing drinks, serving customers, washing glasses- all of it. It’s Saturday and all his co-workers, other than the sweet new girl who is also being run ragged, are either _late_ or _dead_. And they better be **dead** , because Seokjin feels like his patience is about to be wiped off the face of the earth.

 

“Yi Jae! Do we need more clean glasses?” Seokjin yells over the commotion and dodges a hand coming straight for his ass systematically, “When I’m done with this round, I’ll go help back there!”

 

The girl finishes mixing a small batch of drinks and slides them down the counter to their owners with ease, “Yeah, Jin-oppa! Thank you!”

 

Seokjin makes his way through the bar, taking orders, clearing tables, and unabashedly paying no attention to a few hooligans cursing him out for ignoring them. It makes him smile, completely amused.

 

It’s not like he didn’t care about how these people treated him, he simply learned how to block it out- a definite improvement from his first day where he was on the verge of crying practically his entire shift. Of course, he could get a better job, but it was hard enough finding a good paying company that wanted to hire anyone without a GED. Not to mention, he already heavily depended on his current paycheck _and_ the generous tips that came with it. He needed this job.

 

However, that won’t stop the waiter from passive-aggressively telling off a few customers here and there.

 

“Oppa, can you take this outside for me. You know how creepy it is behind the building.” Yi Jae asks, handing Seokjin a full trash bag.

 

“YAh! So you send me out there instead?!” The older employee exclaims.

 

The girl giggles with fake sweetness before going back to rinsing a few more cups off. Seokjin simply shakes his head and makes his way to the dumpster outside.

 

When he opens the back door, cool wind brushes his skin soothingly and instant relief washes over him. Due to the overwhelming crowd inside, the bar grew uncomfortably hot since its opening time, even _with_ the AC on blast. The cool night is all but therapeutic in comparison, fresh air permeating his surroundings and evening birds drowsily singing for him. He’ll make sure his apprentice takes a little break outside next time the trash needed to be put out.

 

He stares at the night sky as he stretches the soreness out of his poor back the best he can, drinking in the creeping exhaustion weighing on his muscles. Aside from the faint glow of the moon and red flashes of light from airplanes passing by, there was nothing to see. Heavy clouds shroud the night sky as if to hide its natural beauty from polluted city lights.

 

Seokjin closes his eyes, breathing in the gaseous air barely wafted with the trees nearby. He smells car engines and fresh rain on concrete and whiffs of alcohol off scattered broken glass bottles, all the while keeping his eyes shut. It was a game he liked to play only really to pass the time. He’d try to guess his surroundings without using any other senses, exercising his nose to see what his eyes can’t.

 

To his left, wet cardboard crates used to ship in the bar’s alcohol products and from the scent of feces, there must be a rat nest festering inside them. Seokjin inwardly cringes and reminds himself to never touch that pile again. To his right, he guesses a bit of mold forming on the alleyway ground. There’s a faint drift of leftover blood from his last meal and he quirks his lips in amusement, fondly reminiscing on the regret in his harasser's eyes after Seokjin lured him in so easily.

 

He relaxes into the wall behind him, eyes still closed as he lets all the outdoor scents wash over him. He’s just figuring out how wet the dirt is underneath the city trees until something familiar catches his senses. His head tilts questioningly and turns toward a gentle aroma of pine trees and something else he can’t put his finger on.

 

Pine trees didn’t grow around this part of Seoul, the crowding buildings and unpolished quality preventing anything that requires more than 90cm to flourish. Did the district decide to add some variety finally?

 

He doesn't get to finish his reasoning however, because the wind blows against him and he jumps at the spike of rot coming from the dumpster. The smell stings his nose even when he helplessly tries to cover himself. Seokjin immediately takes that as his cue to leave, not wanting to harm his sensitive nose anymore.

 

He’s about to open the backdoor again but he hears a calculated step behind him and his nerves jolt across his skin. He was so immersed in his game he didn’t even notice someone sneaking up on him. Sokejin’s never wanted to slap himself so bad until that moment.

 

He wouldn’t be bothered in the slightest if it was some human with a knife or a gun, but he knows, from the lurking fear constantly haunting his thoughts, it could be the CCG coming to finish him off.

 

Seokjin was not someone that liked to hold grudges or be burdened with incessant anger, but he _hated_ them- those relentless monsters who exterminated ghouls for a living, or for fun in some sick, twisted way. They were indiscriminate, bigoted, and merciless, not even having the time of day to think about who they were slaughtering, whether they be a parent or child. He knew humans never liked the unfamiliar. The simple fact was that they were more comfortable stomping out all their problems by means of war and murder than actually having any sort of consideration for the other perspective.  
In Seokjin’s case, they stomped out his family.

 

The ghoul hears another step and whirls around ready to defend himself, still hiding his true identity just in case. All he has on him is a metal straw for certain drinks they serve in the bar- far too fragile and flimsy to actually harm someone, but Seokjin prays it looks like a weapon from a distance.

 

“Get back! Don’t come any closer!” Seokjin screams, holding up his makeshift stake.

 

“WHOA! Whoa, whoa, whoa!” The person throws his hands up, stepping into the light and Seokjin instantly recognizes him. “Calm down! Calm do- wait is that a straw?!”

 

“NAMJOON!” The server squawks indignantly, grasping at his heart. “Don’t scare me like that!” Seokjin runs up and swipes him on the arm.

 

The younger man shrinks away from Seokjin’s fit, trying and failing to block the server’s barrage of hard smacks, “I’m sorry. I apologize. Forgive me.”

 

“What are you doing here? There’s no way you can be hungry again.”

 

“I’m just here to see you,” Namjoon replies coolly, earning him another smack on the arm. He snickers playfully in response, forcing the server to break his fake pout and laugh with him.

 

“A charmer you are alright...” Seokjin steps a bit closer than appropriate, purely to one-up Namjoon in their little flirting game, “but as much as I’d like to entertain you with my time, I’ve got a crowd of intoxicated toddlers to cater to.” He could tell his close proximity affected the taller man immensely, the two being near enough to drown in each other's scents. He loved every second of it.

 

Namjoon had a gentle musk that smelled strangely similar to fresh pine trees and warm bed sheets, and Seokjin just wanted to roll in. He wouldn’t mind smelling it every day if he could.

 

“Come inside, I’ll get you a drink.” The server reluctantly steps away, but seeing the dazed look on the other man’s face made it totally worth it.

 

Seokjin looks back and smiles- which only serves to bring Namjoon closer to what feels like death- motioning for the younger man to follow him. And so he does, following the server back inside a little more than flustered.

 

As soon as the pair walk through the door, a fuming Yi Jae immediately scrambles up to Seokjin, “Jin-oppa! Why did it take so long to take out the tr-” the younger employee stops herself right as she catches sight of Namjoon, her expression rapidly changing from surprise to confusion and then settling on realization. “Oppa! I didn’t know you had a boyfriend!” Seokjin chokes.

 

“No, no! He’s ju- just...” The older worker glances at Namjoon questioningly and then back at his coworker. “We just met here last Tuesday.”

 

The girl gives him a _look_ and Seokjin knew he just dug his own grave.

 

“Well I need you to help me do rounds again, I’m sure your boyfriend won’t mind waiting for you at the bar.” The server hears Namjoon cough his lungs out behind him as Yi Jae all but drags him to his death.

 

When Namjoon finally walks into the main area, he realizes straightaway just how crowded the pub actually was. Every booth and table were taken, the bar itself lined with customers. Even the back wall was filled with people chatting and doing other slightly provocative activities.

 

Namjoon was completely surprised with the boom of customers compared to his last visit where there were only a few occupied tables and a couple people at the bar, including himself. He blows a low whistle in a sort of sympathy for the workers and waits by the counter for one of them to come and take his order.  
However, as time passed, none actually came by. He only ever saw Seokjin and the young waitress pacing around the bar.

 

Namjoon sees Seokjin coming his way again to pick up more drinks so he stops him out of curiosity, “Hey, where are your other coworkers?” The server seems a little out of breath, his muscles tense and posture slouching. Namjoon realizes exactly what's happening.

 

“They better be dead if I have anything to do with it,” Seokjin snaps, evidently agitated.

 

“Maybe it’s the holiday coming up…” The server just nods, rolling his eyes as he steps behind the counter. Namjoon follows him to the entrance of the mixing station while Seokjin grabs a couple new bottles of differing alcohol brands. Halloween was coming up soon so his younger coworkers were probably out partying their lives away.

 

Namjoon stares at him in concern, ”Hyun-”

 

“You can call me Jin,” the server cuts him off. Namjoon immediately becomes flustered and has to breathe a little harder for the air that was knocked out of his lungs.

 

“O-okay, uh Jin- let me help you. You don’t have to split any money with me, I just want to assist in any way I can.” Namjoon says firmly, though he stumbles and he wants to punch himself for it.

 

Jin freezes and turns to Namjoon at break-neck speed, “Absolutely not, I can’t have my customer working. No way.” As tired as he is and as much as he wants to say yes, Namjoon is still his customer. There’s no way he’s going to let him work for free.

 

“No, no it’s fine. I want to.” Jin’s about to bite back a reply until Namjoon promptly cuts him off, “Look, just from your posture, breathing, eye bags, _and_ your attitude, I can tell you’re exhausted. Let me help.”

 

The server shoots him an ice-cold glare, “And your frazzled hair.” Namjoon interrupts again.

 

Jin opens his mouth to say something but abruptly shuts it to look at his reflection on the alcohol bottles. He glances up silently at Namjoon before leaning back down to fix his hair. The whole debacle is a bit too comical so Namjoon has to bite the inside of his lip in order to get his point across.

 

When Jin finally looks up again, Namjoon raises an eyebrow challengingly. He knew he was right. “Okay! Fine, you can help, but I don’t want you doing anything other than washing glasses!” The server pouts, dragging a grinning Namjoon to the washing station.

↢:{-❂-}:↣

In the end, Namjoon’s help took loads off the two employees’ backs since he not only did his job like he was supposed to, but he was also enthusiastic about it. Unlike what Seokjin originally assigned, Namjoon’s regimen eventually expanded to serving drinks and clearing tables. Not to mention, the occasional “Tall Person” duties when they needed new bottles of alcohol from the top shelves.

 

He did have his drawbacks though, specifically when he became _a living embodiment of a hazard and broke everything he touched._

 

By the end of the night, Namjoon had broken the shelf ladder, a chair, five glasses, and his own glasses for fuck's sake (though Seokjin didn’t mind that last one too much since it only made him hotter). As much as it drove Seokjin crazy, it also made him fall more in love with that clumsy giraffe because those disappointed pouts were too endearing to stay mad at.

 

Above all that, however, Seokjin truly did appreciate Namjoon’s help. It was just a very sweet thing to do in general. His kind smiles and calming demeanor brightening the server’s mood ten-fold even during his crap job with these crap people called customers. He was whipped and knew it from the back of his hand that he wanted to slap himself with.

 

“I can’t believe you guys do this practically on a daily basis.” Namjoon sighs heavily, leaning on one of the now empty tables in the bar. The pub finally met its closing hour, the building quiet and empty except for the two remaining servers and Namjoon.

 

Luckily, they didn’t have too much trouble closing up. While there was one hammered old man and a few grumbling customers, the makeshift team only really had to worry about the clean up afterward.

 

Jin laughs from his place at the bar, pouring waters for everyone, “You should see Christmas or Valentine’s Day.” Both Yi Jae and Namjoon outwardly groan in response. Jin smiles endearingly, walking to the two of them and handing them each a glass.

 

“Thank you, Jin.” Namjoon grins before gulping it down like he hasn’t seen water in days. Meanwhile, Jin takes a sip from his own drink as he subtly admires the other man’s adam's apple bobbing up and down every time he swallows. The server hears a small snort from his side and sees Yi Jae smirking at him from behind her glass. He shoots her a glare and she looks away, laughing quietly to herself.

 

The three of them talked for a while, sitting and rambling about their day until Yi Jae opted to go home for the night due to her exhaustion. She thanked both Seokjin and Namjoon for their hard work and left them to close up shop.

 

The two men, however, chose to stay in favor of spending more time together. Their conversations floating from off-shift hours to horrible customer experiences to Namjoon’s day in his studio. They were tired, but they enjoyed each other’s company. And after all idle chit-chat and laughter died out, the two of them finally felt content enough to go home after their long day.

 

“It must be really nice to be doing what you love,” Jin comments quietly as he stacks the last few remaining glasses in their respective shelves.

 

Namjoon shakes his head, ”It’s a bit harder than you think, but yeah, I’m happy with my job.” Jin rolls his eyes, but not before Namjoon catches him. “Why do you have this job in the first place, Jin? I can’t imagine anyone dreaming to become a bartender in a place like this.”

 

The server laughs, ”That’s a long story for another time...but I’ve always wanted to be an actor or own a restaurant.”

 

“Why a restaurant?” Namjoon knew full well as much as Jin did that there was no point dealing with human food, let alone _cooking_ it.

 

Jin glances up to think, “Part of it is due to my hypersensitive nose.” Jin pokes his own nose cutely, making a ‘boop’ sound in the process and Namjoon feels personally attacked. “I can smell distinct familiar scents from about 100 or so meters away and tell what’s in a plate of food just from smelling it.”

 

Namjoon’s eyes bug out a bit, “Really?”

 

“Yeah! The only drawback is that I can’t turn it off. People have thrown up in here days ago and I can still smell it. It’s absolutely revolting.” The server’s smile falters noticeably, making the other man cackle.

 

“But aren’t you a little put-off? We can’t eat like them, I find that very unfair.”

 

Jin looks down, his expression warm and unreadable, “Yes, I know. But somehow, even though we’ll never know what steak or ice cream tastes like, life gave us the ability to smell just how good they might be.” He pauses before staring into Namjoon eyes, “In my opinion, what difference does it make if we can smell food rather than eat it? Isn’t that our closest way to enjoy being in their world?”

 

Namjoon feels his heart swell, Seokjin’s gentle words touching his soul. He admits he’s never had a tough life, his parents are alive, his job is stable, and college is a breeze- but the world still sucked. Kim Namjoon was a ghoul after all, forever doomed to hunt or be hunted.

 

In order to survive, his family taught him to always live fiercely. “Fight, run, survive!” his parents told him, as did their parents, and their parents before them. And in the end, they all lived long because of it.  
He could exist alongside humans, but he was no ally. He had to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing- a predator, a murderer.

 

And yet, Seokjin, a ghoul just like him, embodied the complete opposite of that ideal. Kind, gentle, soft, and many other benevolent words described him best. It’s not like he wasn’t fierce though, the guy fried more people tonight than all of Namjoon’s own diss tracks combined. Jin simply represented weakness and vulnerability in the most beautiful way.

 

“Ready to go?” The server snaps Namjoon out of his trance, smiling at him patiently.

 

Speechless, Namjoon just nods and gathers his coat.

 

The pair walk out the entrance and take a moment to breathe in the cool evening air. The birds have finally gone to sleep and though the moon shone brightly through the clouds, no stars came out to greet them.

 

Namjoon feels a tap on his arm and turns to see Jin holding out a wad of cash for him.

 

_Oh shit._

 

Before Namjoon can move away, the other man grabs him and tries to force it into one of his pockets. _Kind_ and _gentle_ my ass!

 

“You will take this and go!” The two grown-ass men fight like children in the middle of the sidewalk, wrestling each other in a battle of wills.

 

Namjoon barely blocks another attempt to make him take the money. Jin was smaller than him, but the dude was fast as shit!

 

“Jin! No!” The taller man finally takes control, snatching the hand that had the cash in it and wrapping his other arm tightly around Jin’s waist to secure him.  
Much to Namjoon’s relief, his technique works like a charm, hence the instantly deflating Jin tucked firmly against his chest.

 

“Look,” Namjoon’s chest rumbles and Seokjin feels like he’s melting, “you need this more than I do. Didn’t I tell you earlier that I wasn’t interested in the money?”

 

“But you worked so hard, I want to make it up to you!” Jin tries to sound angry, but his voice trails out as a whine instead. The poor man feels like being run over by a truck would be a kinder fate at this point.

 

“If you want to make it up to me…” Namjoon slowly releases his grip on the other man so they could face each other, “then I’d like to have your number. That’s why I came back in the first place anyways, it was because of you.”

 

Seokjin’s heart explodes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm a sucker for cheesy hugging crap like that guys, I'm sorry
> 
> See you next time!


End file.
